Using Triangles in Composition
In my early days as a photography teacher, I accompanied two nice Australian ladies for a week of photography through Vietnam. They had recently attended a week-long photo workshop in Cambodia but still, when I met them, they didn’t seem to really know what they were doing with their cameras. So, a little perplexed,…
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The secret ingredient for amazing travel photos
Connectivity: The Secret Ingredient for Amazing Travel, Amazing Portraits Andy Faulk There is a never-ending stream of articles about travel photography online. Some will warn you of the complexity of travel portraiture while other sources will offer tip after tip about how to get the perfect travel portrait. Sure, these articles, tip lists,…
Read MoreDirecting your subject: a practical example
About a year ago I published an article titled “how to direct your subject in travel photography“. I suggest you head over the link if you haven’t read it yet, as it will help you understand clearly what I am talking about here. Basically, when taking photos of people it is possible to direct your…
Read MoreLesson learned from not staging photos
While in Sri Lanka for my exploration trip, my friend Kevin and I were looking for the fishermen on stilts outside Mirissa. This iconic photo of Sri Lanka is something I would have liked to capture, under the condition that the fishermen were “real”. I heard many stories about them posing for tourists in exchange…
Read MorePeople asking for money when doing Travel Photography
The sun was on the horizon, a perfect orange ball. It was another beautiful sunset in Hoi An, Vietnam and we were out on a photo tour through a local village – taking advantage of the dreamy light. While the group spread out to take photos of people harvesting rice in the paddies, I noticed…
Read MoreBody Gesture : The Travel Photographer’s Decisive Moment
To me, photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as of a precise organization of forms which give that event its proper expression. – Henri Cartier-Bresson According to photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, the most profound photographs are those that capture the decisive moment…
Read MoreHow to direct your subject
When taking photos in Asia it is very tempting to direct your subject and stage your composition. A lot of people are very happy to be photographed and even happier to be able to make a few bucks to be your subject. If you have been following me at all you will know that for…
Read MoreThe sneaky shot
Well, I can say, even though I love approaching people and interact with them, sometimes you have to be a little sneaky. I am not talking about rude sneaky, and stick my camera in people’s faces while they are eating. But the nice sneaky that will allow you to get a shot that you…
Read MoreThe way to approach people
How to approach people you want to photograph? This is probably the first question my students ask me: how should I approach people I want to photograph? For most Westerners travelling in South East Asia, taking photos of people feels like intruding into their private lives. Your photography teacher tells you to get closer, but…
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